By Elias Ntungwe Ngalame
“It is amazing that many women in
Africa continue to use hoes to till the soil in their small scale farms in
communities in Africa in this age of technological advancement,” wondered
Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma as she addresses officials at the launch of the African
Renewable Energy Initiative at COP21 in Paris, France.
“We are calling on the President of
the African Development Bank to ensure that funding for the purchase of such
archaic working tools for women becomes history,’’ Zuma pleaded.
The good news is that the African
Development Bank had in store its plan for a transformational change for women
that will put the use of rudimentary working tools still used by many poor
communities in Africa at bay, the President of the African Development Bank,
Akinwumi Adesina announced.
He indicated that climate-related
disasters are taking a big toll on agriculture production in Africa especially
and women remain the biggest victims of the climate calamity given their key
role in agriculture production.
He warned that if concrete actions
are not taken to protect the women farmers in their business the effects of
climate change can wipe out decades of development gains and put food security
in peril in Africa.
‘Agriculture remains Africa’s
economic main stay contributing significantly to the GDP of many countries. The
success of the outcome of COP21 will not be obtained without any concrete
action addressing issues of agriculture in Africa’’ pointed out AfDB President
Akinwumi Adesina at the African Pavillon launch on Tuesday December 1, 2015.
It is against this backdrop
that he announced AfDB project dubbed,’’ Affirmative Finance Action for Women”
to support women in agriculture business to boost the resilience of this
vulnerable group in particular and other vulnerable communities in general.
The impacts of climate change he
said was intensifying with droughts and floods affecting ecosystems and food
and water supplies in Africa putting the agricultural activities of women in
difficulties and thus depriving of solid economic footing.
Economic losses from disasters have
increased by more than 50 percent over the past decade, he noted.
The hardest-hit are poor people,
including small-scale farmers especially women.
"As climate impacts increase we
see women and children virtually helpless. It is time we find lasting solutions
to these challenges, “he said at the U.N. climate talks in Paris.
"It is imperative that we
strengthen resilience and build the adaptive capacities of women by providing
financial support to agric-business initiatives,” Akinwumi said.
AfDB announced the allocation of
some 300 billion dollars to support the project to boost innovative agriculture
project by women.
“Agriculture is business and we must
address the challenges involved from a business perspective,” he noted.
African officials called for a
comprehensive programme in agriculture to address the continents challenges to
climate change
President Bony Yayi of Benin equally
highlighted the need for an ambitious accord to address agriculture
difficulties in Africa.
“The future of the world depends on
Africa, the breadbasket with huge food production potential. Energy and water
is therefore important in transforming Africa’s agriculture, the main stay of
most of its economies,’ Boni Yayi said at the presentation of the African
Renewable Energy Initiative.
African officials nonetheless pledge
for fostering of partnership, bringing together existing and mobilizing new
international support for people oriented agricultural business projects for
the future.
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ReplyDeleteMilton Barbarosh